Go Big or Go Home: 34 Large Group Team Building Activities for Your Next Company Event
Think that large group team building activities don’t offer the same fun and bonding benefits as smaller, more intimate ones? Think again. With these 34 team building ideas for large groups, you can have a great time no matter how many people are participating.
- 20 In-Person Team Building Activities for Large Groups
- 1. Hollywood Murder Mystery
- 2. Company Potluck
- 3. Wild Goose Chase
- 4. Paint Night
- 5. Charity Bike Buildathon
- 6. Marshmallow Challenge
- 7. Corporate Castaways
- 8. Two Truths and a Lie
- 9. Random Acts of Kindness
- 10. Volunteering
- 11. Cardboard Boat Building Challenge
- 12. Egg Drop
- 13. Game Show Extravaganza
- 14. Host a Picnic
- 15. Minute to Win It
- 16. Compass Walk
- 17. The Amazing Chase
- 18. Friendly Feud Social
- 19. Beach Staycation
- 20. Hardware Harmony
- 14 Virtual Large Group Team Building Activities
- 1. Virtual Escape Room: Mummy’s Curse
- 2. Virtual Jeoparty Social
- 3. Team Building Icebreaker Questions
- 4. Virtual Escape Room: Jewel Heist
- 5. Never Have I Ever
- 6. Virtual Jeoparty Social: Price Edition
- 7. Virtual Happy Hour Trivia
- 8. Charades
- 9. Virtual Trivia Championship
- 10. House Party
- 11. Virtual Trivia Time Machine
- 12. Minority/Majority
- 13. Virtual Do-Good Games
- 14. Virtual St. Patrick’s Day Happy Hour
Updated: August 21, 2023
There’s a common misconception that large group team building activities are more challenging to host and less impactful than their smaller counterparts.
After all, some of the biggest benefits of team building activities are their ability to create strong bonds between colleagues and to keep all participants engaged, and that must get harder as numbers rise, right?
In fact, though, that couldn’t be further than the truth. The key is simply to pick the right large group team building activity. And in this article, we’ll share 34 event ideas that you can use to ensure your activity hits the mark.
20 In-Person Team Building Activities for Large Groups
For colleagues that want to connect in person and take part in some fun and engaging team building, these activities are a great fit for large groups.
1. Hollywood Murder Mystery
The case is fresh, but here’s what we know so far: we’ve got an up-and-coming actress who’s been found dead in her hotel room following last night’s awards show.
We have several suspects, but we haven’t been able to put the crime on any of them for sure yet. Now, it’s up to you and your team of detectives to crack the case. Together, you’ll review case files and evidence including police reports, coroners’ reports, photo evidence, tabloids, interrogations, and phone calls as you determine the motive, method, and murderer and bring justice for the victim.
You’ll need to put your problem-solving skills to the test as you share theories, collaborate, and think outside the box with your fellow investigators.
2. Company Potluck
Large group team building activities don’t have to be complicated. In fact, sometimes simpler is better. Try hosting a company potluck where everyone brings their favorite dish. Then, simply sit back, let people chat and connect in a social setting, and watch everyone create organic bonds.
Pro tip: In the lead-up to your potluck, circulate a sign-up form so that people can write down what they’ll be bringing to ensure people
3. Wild Goose Chase
There’s literally no limit to how many people can take part in a Wild Goose Chase scavenger hunt. With this app-based activity, your team will head out into the city to explore, bond, and tackle fun photo and video challenges. Whether it’s for 20 people or 100, it’s a great way to build camaraderie and to exercise some valuable teamwork.
4. Paint Night
If your team likes to get creative, they’ll love a paint night. And there are a few ways you can do this. For one, you can have individual canvases set up for each employee and they can all either try to paint the same thing or bring to life their own unique idea. Alternatively, you can mix things up by getting big, long pieces of paper and having a bunch of teammates paint on it together. Either give them an idea to paint or let them go wild and see what they come up with.
5. Charity Bike Buildathon
Nothing brings people together like doing some good in the world. And that’s why a philanthropic team building activity like Charity Bike Buildathon is a great idea. In teams, your group will build and decorate children’s bicycles before presenting them to their colleagues.
After the activity, you’ll donate all of the bikes to a charity of your choice. What makes this a great large group team building activity? The more people who participate, the bikes you can donate, and the bigger your team’s positive impact will be.
Looking for even more ideas for how to give back with your team? Check out our list of 20+ creative volunteer ideas for workgroups. You can also add a charitable element to every Outback team building activity by adding our care kit option to your event.
6. Marshmallow Challenge
In this challenge, groups need to build the highest tower from a set of ingredients: spaghetti pasta, paper tape, string. The building needs to stand on its own and carry the weight of a marshmallow. It is a great exercise for intense teamwork, group communication and leadership styles. And the more teams play, the more unique ideas will come to life.
7. Corporate Castaways
Ever wondered how your team would fare if they got stranded on a deserted island? Well now you can find out! This hosted activity will have your large group split into “tribes” to tackle fun physical and mental challenges in a competition inspired by the “Survivor” TV show.
8. Two Truths and a Lie
Your group might be big, but they’ll get to know each other in great detail with this hilarious large group team building activity. This classic icebreaker makes for a great Zoom happy hour game. The premise is simple: each person comes up with three “facts” about themselves. Two are true, one is a lie, and everyone else has to decide which is which!
9. Random Acts of Kindness
As we mentioned before, doing good in the world is good for you. In fact, it actually builds team morale. Random Acts of Kindness fuses the scavenger hunt concept with a philanthropic twist. This large group team building activity gets teams racing against one another to try and complete as many good deeds as possible before time runs out. Again, more people equal more positivity spread throughout your city.
10. Volunteering
Giving back to those in need doesn’t have to come in the form of a structured challenge. You and your team can get together to do some volunteer work of any kind, directly contributing to the wellbeing of others. From organizing a food drive to working in a soup kitchen, the opportunities are endless.
11. Cardboard Boat Building Challenge
Split into teams and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided – cardboard and tape. Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats to test their durability! The benefit of a big body of water is that it offers ample space for
12. Egg Drop
As it turns out, this classic team building game is great for large groups. The premise is simple: you’ll need to split into small teams and work collaboratively to construct a landing pad that will keep a raw egg safe after dropping from increasingly high heights. The best part about it? The more people you have, the more teams there will be, and therefore the more prototypes your group will create.
13. Game Show Extravaganza
With Game Show Extravaganza, your team can go head-to-head in your very own game show-style competition.
Together, you’ll need to tackle photo and trivia challenges covering everything from pop culture to politics as you compete to earn points and be named winners.
An activity like this is a great way to help boost your communication skills and connect in a different way.
14. Host a Picnic
Nothing is better for large group team building activities than getting out into the great outdoors. And hosting a picnic is a fun way to do so. Bring out some blankets, lawn chairs, snacks, drinks, and games and let your team mix and mingle in a non-structure social setting. Or, if you want to add a little structure, consider an activity like Picnic Party Games to add an extra dimension to your event.
15. Minute to Win It
In this activity based on the popular TV show, groups are challenged to tackle fun 60-second tasks before time runs out. This is an ultra-high energy activity where everyone on each team will need to work together, communicate, and cheer each other on in order to be successful.
16. Compass Walk
You don’t need a literal compass for this team building activity. Instead, it’s more about communicating and building trust between colleagues by guiding a blindfolded player to a certain destination using only verbal instructions. Here’s how it works: one person identifies an object that is at least 50 metres away. This person will then close their eyes, or put on a blindfold, and aim to walk in a straight line directly towards the object, stopping directly in front of it. Meanwhile, the sighted person will walk silently behind their partner and prevent the latter from hitting any unforeseen obstacles. No matter how big your group is, you can break out and play this game in pairs.
17. The Amazing Chase
Inspired by the popular reality TV show The Amazing Race – on which teams race around the world, with each leg of the competition requiring the groups to solve puzzles, interact with locals, and complete challenges – this interactive scavenger hunt has teams following clues around their city and taking on physical and mental challenges to move on to the next destination. With more teams in play, the stakes are even higher and the competition is even more fierce. So, don’t be afraid to bring as many people as possible!
18. Friendly Feud Social
If you’ve ever wanted to take part in your own Family Feud-style competition, this is your chance! With Friendly Feud Social, you and your colleagues will break out into teams to compete through survey questions focused on culture and human nature.
And, as an added social element within the game, each round of questions will be followed by a guided social mixer where you’ll have the chance to take part in a group discussion and more deeply explore the survey questions from the previous round.
19. Beach Staycation
Invite your team to hop aboard Captain Furling’s chartered yacht and transport them from your office directly to a gorgeous beach destination in Cancun.
Beach Staycation is loaded with delightful vacation destination footage, ocean soundscapes, and best-of-all, highly engaging social activities and trivia-style challenges.
If your team is in need of a vacation, some shared laughs, and social fun, this highly-engaging activity will fit the bill!
20. Hardware Harmony
Using tools, parts, and hardware, your group will need to collaborate in order to create musical harmony. Together you’ll collect household items, rehearse, and put on your very own concert before donating everything to charity.
14 Virtual Large Group Team Building Activities
If your team works remotely or isn’t able to get together in person, don’t worry. Virtual formats are actually very good for large group team building activities because you’re not limited by space or resources. We’ve compiled nine virtual team building ideas that will be a perfect fit, no matter how many employees you have.
1. Virtual Escape Room: Mummy’s Curse
In this virtual escape room experience, your team will be transported into a pyramid cursed by a restless mummy. You’ll have to work together to uncover clues and solve complex challenges to lift the ancient curse.
2. Virtual Jeoparty Social
If your remote team is eager to socialize, have some fun as a group, and channel their competitive spirit, we’ve got just the thing for you! With Virtual Jeoparty Social, you and your colleagues will step into your very own virtual Jeopardy-style game show—equipped with a buzzer button, a professional actor as your host, and an immersive game show platform! Best of all, this game has been infused with an ultra-social twist: players will take part in a unique social mixer challenge between each round.
3. Team Building Icebreaker Questions
Want to have a hilarious time getting to know your colleagues better? Jump on Zoom and go through some icebreaker questions together. You’ll get a lot of laughs out of it and will learn a lot about your teammates in the process. If you need some inspiration, we have a list of 300 team building icebreaker questions you can use.
4. Virtual Escape Room: Jewel Heist
There’s been a robbery! Someone has masterminded a heist to steal a priceless collection of precious jewels, and it’s up to you and your team to recover them before time runs out. Together, you’ll need to uncover hidden clues and solve a series of brain-boggling challenges that require collaboration, creative problem-solving, and outside-the-box thinking. But be quick! The clock is ticking before the stolen score is gone forever. And remember: more players mean more minds to contribute to solving this mystery.
5. Never Have I Ever
The rules of Never Have I Ever are simple: players take turns listing potential experiences they’ve never had, using the phrase “never have I ever…” If someone has done the action in question, they take a shot or a sip (or whatever other consequence you dream up). If no one has done the action in question, the person who posed the query takes a drink.
This is a great way to find out hilarious new things about your colleagues. And if you’re looking for some question inspiration, check out this article from Parade that offers 250 ideas.
6. Virtual Jeoparty Social: Price Edition
With Virtual Jeoparty Social: Pride Edition, your team will get to step into their very own virtual Jeopardy-style game show—equipped with a buzzer button, a professional actor as your host, and an immersive game show platform.
Your group will break into teams and compete through multiple rounds of Jeopardy questions. Each round includes a unique theme related to Pride and LGBTQIA+ culture.
Then, following each trivia round, your group will take part in a social mixer challenge focused on a fun, inclusive mix of conversation questions that correlate to the topics you just covered.
For even more activities like this, check out our list of ways to celebrate Pride Month at work.
7. Virtual Happy Hour Trivia
Get your team together for some cocktails and laughs with this virtual large group team building activity. In this activity, you and your team will take a trip to Hamish McDuff’s virtual pub. This hilarious Scottish pub owner is the legendary host of a trivia game with more than 20 category options to choose from, including sports, food and drink, and even celebrity real estate. This virtual pub trivia game is guaranteed to produce plenty of laughs and lift team “spirits.” It might even include a few special surprises.
Want to learn even more ways to take your happy hour to the next level? Check out these unbeatable virtual happy hour games for workgroups.
8. Charades
Engage your entire group in the timeless and always-hilarious act of guessing the meaning of non-verbal communication cues. This game requires creative thinking and snap decision-making on the part of the performer, and radical listening and sympathetic perception on the part of the guessers. And the collaboration goes a long way in strengthening bonds between colleagues.
9. Virtual Trivia Championship
It’s going to take a wide range of minds to tackle all of the challenges you’ll face in this activity, so the bigger the group, the better! In this virtual trivia team building activity, your colleagues will break into teams and turn the competition level up to ten as you challenge your wits, test your knowledge, and work your way through a list of trivia questions ranging from cities to movies, songs, objects, and even a round of Jeopardy-style challenges.
If your team is full of trivia lovers, then you might want to read our article offering a ton of incredible virtual trivia games for work teams.
10. House Party
House Party is that’s all about connecting colleagues for a fun time. And since it’s an app-based activity, there’s no limit to how many people can participate. To play, download and open the House Party app then invite the friends you want to play with to your “room.” Once they’re all there, make sure you lock the room so that other people can’t randomly join in on your game. Then, you can use the app to play Heads Up, Trivia, a game called Chips and Guac and a Pictionary-esque one called Quick Draw.
11. Virtual Trivia Time Machine
Step into the Outback Time Machine and take a trip through time, from pre-pandemic 21st century through the decades all the way to the 60’s with as many players as you can wrangle together. This exciting, fast-paced virtual trivia game, packed with nostalgia and good vibes, is guaranteed to produce big laughs, friendly competition, and maybe even some chair-dancing.
12. Minority/Majority
This Zoom happy hour game is nice and simple but can be a lot of fun—and a great way to learn more about your colleagues! To play, one person asks an either/or question, like ‘coffee or tea?’ or ‘cats or dogs?’ and each team member provides their answers. Whoever’s in the minority takes a sip of their beverage! If you’re looking to make your game cheat-proof, have everyone write down their responses before answering.
13. Virtual Do-Good Games
Team up with your colleagues for a Virtual Do-Good Games to do some good in the world and give back to those in need, all while having a blast. This is a morale-boosting virtual team building activity that transforms friendly competition into charitable donations.
14. Virtual St. Patrick’s Day Happy Hour
One thing’s for sure. St. Patrick’s Day brings out the Irish in all of our hearts, no matter where we are in the world! So, this year, gather your remote team and celebrate Celtic culture with St. Patrick’s Day Virtual Happy Hour, an immersive, interactive, and highly engaging virtual experience hosted by a professional actor. Together, you’ll face a series of Celtic-themed challenges, including a buzzin’ Irish trivia game, a Famous Irish Faces challenge, an Irish-themed “Would You Rather” conversation game, and even a few Irish pub song-based memory challenges.
There’s no question about it: team building is fun and effective no matter how many people participate. So, incorporate one of these large group team building activities into your organization’s next event and watch your entire team have a great time.
Want to learn more about large group team building activities?
If you’ve got questions about the right team building activities for big groups of employees, reach out to an Employee Engagement Consultant.
I like these activities and I recommend this to all companies and teams. Such activities will for sure strengthen the spirit of competition and teamwork. This will definitely lead to more productivity and success.